Alex da Silva on Documentary Filmmaking
Posted on 15 December 2009
Continuing our interview series we have fellow contriver, old friend, native Brazilian, Alex da Silva, who recently visited the Workshop to discuss his latest film Ready. Set. Bag! A feature documentary about the National Grocery Bagging Contest and more importantly being the best at what you do. Full discloser here, A.C.W. made a little animation for the film called, How to be a Good Bagger. (see the projects page). We also talked about documentary filmmaking challenges and randomly, Director Ronald Neame.
Alex da Silva
A.C.W. – What kind of filmmaking did you do in Brazil?
Alex – My first 10 years in the business I mostly worked with TV commercials shot in 35mm. I started as a PA and worked my way up to become a director. I have also worked as a cinematographer for several short films and music videos. In 1994 I directed a short documentary called “O Cantor de Samba” that did quite well in festivals both in Brazil and internationally.
A.C.W. – Any way to see “O Cantor de Samba”?
Alex – It had a very wide and long run on Public TV in Brazil for many years, but now it’s kind of forgotten. Maybe one of these days I’ll make it available. The web is the perfect place for short docs.
A.C.W. – What were your influences growing up?
Alex – My father, who was 70 years old when I was born, was a painter and an art critic. We were always visiting his friends and I spent most of my childhood around artists. My summer vacations were spent in a small town in the interior of São Paulo State among relatives from my mother’s side of the family. There is a film theater, which is still open to this day, and they used to play a different movie every other night. I didn’t miss one show and if I liked the film I would go back again the next day; my fixation for spaghetti westerns probably comes from that time. All of that and many, many hours in front of a TV.
A.C.W – Why documentary filmmaking and not narrative?
Alex – It’s difficult to point to one unique reason, but I find documentaries incredibly compelling. When I was 14 I watched Fitzcarraldo by Werner Herzog in a Film Festival in São Paulo, followed by Burden of Dreams directed by Les Blank about the filming of Fitzcarraldo. By the end of that double screening I had decided to become a documentarian.
A.C.W. – At 14 you knew what you wanted to do? No looking back, huh?
Alex – That’s a stretch! On that particular day I was so impressed and inspired that I was certain about what I wanted to be. But since then I had a few other “lives” before becoming a documentarian. I worked as a DJ, bartender and as an assistant to a still photographer in Paris and in the US I delivered pizzas and documents (not together) for a few months before I found my way into filmmaking.
A.C.W. - Any interest to DP (director of photography/ cinematographer) a narrative film?
Alex – I shoot my own films and I enjoy it tremendously, but I have a hard time considering myself a cinematographer by trade. On the other hand I’m driven and inspired by challenges, so why not?
A.C.W. – What do you think makes a good documentary?
Alex – The same thing that makes any other good movie, a strong story.
A.C.W. – But with a documentary doesn’t the story come easier? I mean your following real life. You don’t have to invent situations or create a character from scratch.
Alex – No, it doesn’t come easier on my opinion. Since you are dealing with real life situations what comes next is always uncertain. You never even know for sure if you have a story until you are very close to the end, and that’s nerve wracking. When you are writing your own stuff you can take any direction, do as you please. No such thing with docs.
A.C.W. - What type of stories makes a good documentary? With narrative you have to have conflict, protagonist and an antagonist (or antagonism), and the more opposed the better. Is this same with docs?
Alex – Not necessarily. On Ready,Set,Bag! we don’t have a villain. We depend on our characters stories and their own arc. Other docs have major antagonisms and in some cases, several. I don’t differentiate too much what makes a good story in a film between a doc and a narrative. They have the similar qualities.
A.C.W. – How do you pick your subjects for a project?
Alex – That’s one of the hardest things about documentaries. Casting takes a lot of time and commitment, which often means higher budgets. It’s like hunting: you choose a target, select your gear, find a good spot to start and work hard to bring something home.
A.C.W. – When doing camera work for a documentary what is the hardest thing to get right?
Alex – For a veritè style documentary the filming usually takes a long time and it gets quite intimate – demanding a lot of proximity with your subject. One of the hardest things is to be able to keep the connection with my subject, but interfere as little as possible.
A.C.W. – Is it hard to have the people not look at camera or be natural with the camera?
Alex – It’s all on the attitude of the operator. The first few days, or hours, the camera is the center of the attentions, but as the time passes you cease to be of interest. A good camera operator recognizes the opportunity and work from there.
A.C.W. – You always manage to get nice little moments in your work. For instance the shots of the interior of the supermarket of people shopping. There are so many interesting people. The kid under the cart I just find fantastic. Are these just happy accidents? Is there some process to go through to photograph people in the store?
see trailer for Ready.Set.Bag! and Alex’s work
Alex – Thank you for the compliment. Throughout the years you learn some tricks, but the most effective strategy is to be well prepared, patient and open to the unexpected. One shooting trick that I like to share is to always listen as carefully as you are looking; some of the best scenes might originate from sound clues.
A.C.W. - Would you elaborate on this: That some of the best scenes originate from sound clues.
Alex – Sometimes shooters become too dependable on their sights. I learned that listening attentively can give you clues of what people might do next, and you position yourself to better capture the shot. It doesn’t always work but when it does it’s very valuable.
A.C.W - I am amazed by the diversity of characters in Ready, Set, Bag! It is almost as if you scripted it no one would believe you. Were there points in the construction of the story that you just thought man no one is going to believe these are real people. It’s just too odd a collection of characters?
Alex – Yes, it came to mind that in some of these scenes people would wonder if our characters are real people. But that’s the greatest thing about documentaries: if you have a good connection and your subjects feel comfortable around you and the camera they will give a lot. I see them as genuine people rather than odd. We were very respectful of their story. We never made fun of them, but we had fun with them. I hope the film reflects that.
A.C.W. – I’m sorry I didn’t mean to imply the people were odd just that the collection isn’t what you would imagine baggers to be. It actually is a reflection of America isn’t it? And the wonderful diversity that makes the country unique in the world.
Alex – No offense taken. I’m very pleased when people come to talk to me after watching it and compliment us on the honesty and sincerity of the film. We showed a part of America that is not usually portrayed in films. Some of our characters are working on a supermarket while they are studying or because they need an easy part time job, others made a career choice. But all of them are having fun and are proud of what they do.
A.C.W - How much footage did you shoot to make the film?
Alex – We filmed about 125 hours all together. That’s pretty conservative for a feature length doc.
A.C.W. – Are there moments that you wished didn’t make it on the cutting room floor?
Alex – You have to give away some very loved sequences for the benefit of the larger story, but we are very satisfied with the final cut.
ACW - What camera did you use? Did you do all the camera work?
Alex – It was shot entirely on a tapeless workflow using the Panasonic HVX200 and P2 cards. When we started shooting there was not a lot of information out there for long format documentaries shot tapeless and we tested a lot of options to make sure we were storing and preserving our footage properly, specially on locations trips all over the country. I shot 95% of the film. In Las Vegas during the competition we have 5 other cameras following our subjects, but other than that it was myself and my co-director and producer Justine Jacob that did all the filming. She helped me to import the data and managing the P2 cards.
ACW - Any other equipment necessary to shot the film?
Alex – Since we had a tapeless workflow we traveled with drives and a P2Store to stored and managed our footage. The P2Store was, at the time, a viable solution for our location shooting. I did the entire sound recording directly on camera using wireless lavs and a good shotgun. The movie was basically shot with available lights, but we have a small light for interviews.
A.C.W. – I appreciate how Ready, Set, Bag! isn’t one of these The- World-is-going-to-hell-in-a-handbasket documentaries that we are inundated with. Has this been a problem? I mean you are uplifted at the end of the doc not pummeled and feeling lost.
Alex – When you select the subject of your doc, you choose the kind of movie you are going to make. From that point on it is up to the filmmakers to keep it honest and consistent with that choice. Ready, Set, Bag! is about being the best you can be, no matter what you do. We worked hard to deserve the confidence of our subjects and to tell their story as truthfully as possible. There are a lot of docs out there, good and bad, that take that pessimistic approach and unfortunately some people expect documentaries to always be like that. I believe in good filmmaking, whatever the subject, and I dislike movies that try too hard.
A.C.W. – Do you find docs are more respected today then they have been in the past?
Alex – Documentaries are more watched today than ever before. So, the audience is much larger and the genre more popular. If they are more respected, I’m not so sure. I think that with a wider reach docs became more controversial too.
ACW – Where do you think documentary filmmaking is going?
Alex – Filmmaking in general is going through a lot of changes; documentaries have some extra challenges to deal with it. Funding is getting harder than ever and the remote possibility of financial return doesn’t help much. At the same time the newest HD technologies are closing the quality gap between the mega budgets films and smaller indies. No matter what happens next, it will be exciting and as always talent and creativity will prevail.
A.C.W. - What about technology and cameras? Is this going to make it cheaper? Help in any way?
Alex – There will always be new gadgets around the corner, in one way or another it’s been like that forever. Today it’s just much faster. Right now we have access to some pretty amazing and cheap tools, but that’s what they are: tools. I try to keep my eyes on the ball, and the game is all about the storytelling. The advantage of these new accessible technologies is that our lower budget films are looking better and better every day.
A.C.W - What are some of your favorite documentaries?
Alex – I’m not a good list maker because I’m always changing my choices, but some of my all times favorites are Straight no Chaser by Charlotte Zwerin, Sans Soleil by Chris Marker, Salesman by the Maysles Brothers and Sherman’s March by Ross McElwee. I try to watch as many new docs as I can and this year I liked The September Issue by R.J. Cutler and The Way We Get By by Aron Gaudet.
A.C.W – Is there something specific about a couple of these as to why you like them?
Alex – They are excellent films independent of being docs or not. Sans Soleil it’s a brilliant visual poem. Sherman’s March is a delicious surprise; you never know what happens next. The September Issue is an incredible lesson on how to deal with a delicate subject and create an accessible and entertaining film. The same applies to The Way We Get By.
A.C.W. – What makes you go, “Yeah that’s the stuff. These guys are getting it right?”
Alex – Anything that takes an unusual and original approach. We must be courageous and trust our instincts. There are no rules. If it looks right and feels honest, it works.
A.C.W. – What are the must see documentaries for some one interested to learn the craft?
Alex – Start with the classics, Robert Flaherty, the Maysles, D.A. Pennebaker, etc…
A.C.W. – What else should documentary students be doing?
Alex – After you build your base you should see as many current films as possible. Take risks and watch movies nobody is talking about. Film festivals are a great opportunity to see new work, and you can avoid the films you know will get commercial distribution. In general an aspiring filmmaker should watch films all the time, there’s no better film school.
A.C.W. – Is the SF bay area kind of a mecca for docs?
Alex – One of them. There are several successful independent filmmakers in the Bay Area and most of them are documentarians. Other places like NYC, Seattle, Boston and even L.A. have sizeable and thriving documentary communities.
A.C.W. – Can you talk a bit about the importance of music in documentaries?
Alex – Music is very important in my life. I’m always listening to music and I like almost all genres. So for me it’s easy to match my two passions. I look for emotional elements when I’m working on a film and music is as powerful as any image. On Ready, Set, Bag! and our previous film Runners High we had the privilege to work with Marco d’Ambrosio who is a fantastic composer. He is very collaborative and attuned to the story and the needs of the film.
A.C.W. – You also paint don’t you? Does that relate to your filmmaking some way?
Alex – Painting is my escape from the complexity of filmmaking. I’m a mediocre painter, but I have fun doing it and I love it.
A.C.W. – What’s next? Aren’t you playing around with something about the incident at Port Chicago?
Alex – Yes. We want to make a short doc about the events around the explosion in Port Chicago during WWII. The story is fascinating and I want to make a lyrical comment rather than another journalistic based piece. I believe there is a great story there that has not been told.
A.C.W. – What are you reading now?
Alex – I’m finishing Slaughterhouse Five by Kurt Vonnegut and before that I read Straight from The Horse’s Mouth an autobiography by the great British director Ronald Neame. My next book will be Out of Sheer Rage: Wrestling with D.H. Lawrence by Geoff Dyer.
A.C.W. – Was there something Neame said in his book that spoke to you? What are some of Neame’s films, if people aren’t familiar?
Alex – Neame was a very intuitive and emotional filmmaker. His films are character driven. Even his most famous Hollywood project, The Poseidon Adventure , which was sold as a major special effects production, it’s actually sustained by the characters inner stories. In my opinion, that film was so successful because you care dearly about those people in the sinking boat, not the action shots, which are very good btw. My favorites films by him are: The Horse’s Mouth and Tunes of Glory both with Alec Guinness, Gambit and Hopscotch.
A.C.W. – Thanks Alex this was great!
Alex – My pleasure.
view Alex’s website
trailers for: Ready. Set. Bag! and Runners High
to get Ready. Set. Bag! to screen in a theater near you go here
Alex was born and raised in São Paulo, Brazil. After spending a few years in Europe he went back to Brazil where he received his B.A. in Communication and a Master’s degree in Film. He has been working in the film industry since 1989 as a Producer, Cinematographer and Director in commercials and non-commercial projects shot in Brazil, U.S., Argentina and Mexico.
His 1994 award winning short film “O Cantor de Samba” was screened at festivals in Brazil, U.S. and Europe. In 1999, he relocated to the San Francisco Bay Area to pursue his interest in documentary films. In 2002 he directed and shot the PBS documentary “Digital Lives” which tells the story of immigrant entrepreneurs in the post boom Silicon Valley.
In 2005 he received the Pacific Pioneer Fund Grant for Emerging Filmmakers and the City of Oakland Individual Artist Grant.
With Justine Jacob he directed and shot the documentary “Runners High” which tells the story of inner city teenagers who transform themselves both physically and mentally by training to run the 26.2 miles of the Los Angeles Marathon. The film premiered in 2006 to much praise at the San Francisco International Film Festival and HotDocs in Toronto. It has continued to play at festivals in the US, Europe, Asia and received the “Guirlande d’Honneur” for best film at the 25th Milano International FICTS Festival.
Alex and Justine had paired up once again, on “Ready, Set, Bag!” (2008) about excelling in life at whatever you do, the feature length documentary follows contestants and their dedicated supporters from around the U.S. as they get ready for the 2007 National Grocery Bagging competition in Las Vegas. The film opened at The LA Film Festival to great critic reception and has received several awards since and is now being theatrically release in the US.
Alex is now working in new projects; a short documentary about the Port of Chicago events, a feature documentary about Chocolate and as a cinematographer for several other productions.
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I have been in love the the Port Chicago Stories since 1993. The most interesting are generally unknown, and bigger than the race story. Love to hear from you.
I’m very open about the story I want to tell. I have done some research about the town, but at this time I’m mostly focusing on publications covering the explosion and the following mutiny. If you have some ideas about other sources I’ll love to hear about it.